Healthy Living

Key Trends

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This section takes a population-based approach to the region's health by exploring measures of access to health care, infant welfare, and behavioral health practices. The 9-county region has lower rates of low birth weight babies and infant mortality, and a lower rate of people lacking insurance than the state. The region is similar to the state in other areas of growing concern, such as obesity and diabetes.

Since 2000, the rate of teen pregnancy in the region declined 53% to 16 pregnancies per 1,000 females aged 15 to 17 in 2014. The state declined 62% over the same time period.

A smaller proportion of residents reported exercising in Knox County, 64% in 2013, compared to 63% in the state. Since 2005, the share of people exercising fell almost 10 precentage points in Knox and about 4 points statewide.

Smoking rates have increased slightly while binge drinking rates are on par in Knox County since 2005. In 2013, about 23% of the population in Knox County smoked, higher than the nation but under the state (24%). Just over 11% of the Knox population reported binge drinking, lower than the 17% nationwide but slightly higher than the 10% state rate.

In 2013, nearly two-thirds of the population in Knox County was overweight or obese, up ten percentage points since 2005. The rate of increase in Knox County was greater than increases at the state (six points) and national (three points) levels. The proportion of the population with diabetes in Knox County also increased between 2005 and 2013, rising to 10% of the population in 2013.

About 13% of residents in the region were not covered by health insurance in 2010-14, lower than the 14% in the state and nation. The proportion of residents enrolled in TennCare in the region has remained steady since 2006 at 17%. Similarly, the statewide rate has remained around 19% over the same time period.